The Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) is set to make a comeback, and the new edition promises to be bigger and better than before. During a recent meeting held on the sidelines of the ICC Annual Conference in Singapore, members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) took a formal decision to revive the global franchise-based competition that was discontinued in 2015.
If everything proceeds as planned, the tournament could return as early as next year. Key stakeholders from various cricket boards are expected to meet soon to finalise the league’s structure and format. One of the biggest challenges will be managing cross-ownership of franchises, with many team owners now having stakes in multiple leagues across different countries. Regulators are likely to form a new Governing Council or board to oversee operations, much like the original CLT20 format.
A major consideration will be determining the size and scope of the league in today’s vastly expanded T20 landscape. When CLT20 was last held in 2014, there were only a few major franchise leagues. But in the last decade, the T20 format has grown exponentially, with around 11 prominent leagues now operating worldwide. These include not only the IPL, Big Bash, and PSL but also newer tournaments like the UAE’s ILT20, USA’s Major League Cricket, and competitions in Canada and Nepal. Even England’s The Hundred has become a significant player in the calendar.
Finding a suitable window in the already packed international schedule will be another major hurdle. Organisers will also have to decide how many teams to include from each league and how to ensure fair representation across different cricket boards.
As in the past, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the IPL are expected to lead the initiative. This time, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is likely to participate too, unlike the previous editions. Cricket Australia (CA) and Cricket South Africa (CSA), both founding members of the original CLT20, may also play key roles in the league’s revival.
The original Champions League T20 ran from 2009 to 2014 before it was shut down due to financial losses. The tournament was cancelled in 2015 after broadcaster Star Sports offered a compensation package to the BCCI, CA, and CSA. Now, with interest in T20 cricket at an all-time high and global franchise leagues thriving, cricket boards are hoping for a more sustainable and successful second chapter.
The first step in the league’s rebirth will be to issue a tender and onboard a broadcasting partner—just as it ended, the new journey will begin with securing a media rights deal.